She Paints Pain

Chapter 9

          As soon as Jackson found me leaning on the same tree, staring at the land Dave disappeared onto, he assumed I was having another seizure and shifted from his gigantic wolf, carrying me home. I didn’t speak and neither did he. I just enjoyed being in my brother’s arms safely without a gun being pressed to the side of my head. It still hurt from where he pushed so hard.

          Jackson brought me home to a frantic Chloe who was panicking and pacing the living room and Logan and Beck who were sitting on the couches, playing the Xbox. The others were out running rounds around Jackson’s land assuring there weren’t any other rouges and even helping the other pack search their land for the rouge. I secretly hoped Dave made it to wherever he wanted to go and wished I asked him where he was going when I had the chance.

          Jackson wasn’t too happy that a rouge was able to sneak onto his land. He spent the first hour once we got home, screaming down his phone at the guys that ran rounds daily, who were supposed to be making sure there weren’t any intruders on Jackson’s land. He definitely wanted to hurt all the guys on duty and even broke his office phone. I left the room before he could do anymore damage.

          After a while he came into the living room and sat on the coffee table in front of me, his hands clasped together. This is the talk I was expecting and waiting patiently for.

          Chloe removed the package of frozen peas from the side of my head and got up, most likely getting a new one that’s cold for the third time since I’ve come home. I have to hand it to her, she’s great at supporting people and after asking repeatedly if I was okay and if Dave –even though she used a few bad words to describe him- did anything to me when Jackson wasn’t there. She waited until Jackson began shouting at his runners and then asked me on a scale of one to ten how hot he was. We continued talking about him as if he wasn’t a trespassing rouge and she still seems jealous that I was ‘held hostage by a stud with a HOT body that thought I was beautiful.’

          “Rain,” Jackson started calmly. “How long did it take you until you mind liked me about the rouge?”

          I avoided eye contact instantly and started playing with my pink skirt that I managed not to get dirty while I took the longest journey of my life out in the woods. “Maybe ten minutes. Not too long.”

          “Do you know what he could have done to you in those ten minutes? What if he knocked you out and I never knew a rouge took you? They still can’t find him and we have hundreds of pack members searching both territories. What if you were with him and we didn’t know? Do you like the idea of going off with a f*cking rouge and never being found again?”

          Which question am I supposed to answer first? Is he trying to make me feel guilty because I’ve felt guilty ever since I called for help? I peeked up at Chloe through my hair since I still couldn’t look at Jackson and took the frozen bag she offered me. She walked out of the room and jogged up the stairs, telling me she’d be right back.

          “It’s not like he was mean or tried to hurt me.”

          “He had a gun, Rain. And you have bruises on your arms.”

          I decided not to tell him the bruises are most likely from Styles when he attacked me this morning in the parking lot. “I didn’t know he had a gun until you guys showed up, that’s when he pulled it out.”

          “Doesn’t matter.” He replied instantly. “You should have known how dangerous he was just because he’s a rouge.”

          I didn’t know how to respond so I kept quiet and tried not to look up at Beck because I know he’s enjoying watching me get in trouble by Jackson for the first time in my life. I hate that Jackson has to do this in front of him. Beck will use this against me for the rest of my life.